


Fire and Water Don't Mix

by Marigold123



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang just wants everyone to get along, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Gen, Katara and Zuko (Avatar) are Parents, Katara has a dark side, One-sided Aang/Katara (Avatar), Other, Season 3 rewrite, Slow Burn Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Stubborn Katara (Avatar), Toph is annoyed, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko is helpful, and Suki, but of the Gaang, katara is suspicious, not actually, sokka wants meat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25269199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marigold123/pseuds/Marigold123
Summary: Zuko hesitated to admit it, but he was afraid of her. He’d begun to notice something within Katara that he hadn’t picked up on the many times they’d clashed in the past. Rage. Buried deep underneath all of her maternal instincts was a hostile streak that made his skin prickle. He knew that hostility. He had it within himself.Season 3 rewrite, starting with when Zuko joins the Gaang.
Relationships: Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Suki & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Zuko
Comments: 110
Kudos: 285
Collections: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Zutara





	1. Chapter 1

Katara was a master of control. Her emotions, her needs, her desires, could all be pushed aside if it meant protecting the people she loved. What had started out as a necessity to keep her grief stricken family alive in the aftermath of her mother’s death had turned into her entire identity. She didn’t mind, even if she sometimes wanted to pull her hair out when Sokka carelessly threw his laundry at her feet, or when Aang refused to eat the dinner she had spent ages preparing, opting instead to munch on leaves he found in the forest. She could endure almost anything if it meant keeping her friends safe and happy.

This is where she drew the line.

“Are you insane?” Katara whispered angrily, leaning her head in close to her friends across the crackling fire. Toph heaved a sigh and flopped back on her hands, her legs splayed lazily in front of her. The sun had begun to set and the group was finally settling down for dinner, prepared by Katara as usual.

“Give it a rest, Sugar Queen,” Toph said, her voice echoing off the cavernous walls of the Western Air Temple. Katara opened her mouth to retort, but Toph held up a finger. “We know, we know. Zuko can’t be trusted, Zuko is going to kill us in our sleep, Zuko doesn’t experience human emotion, Zuko is the spawn of Satan,” she ticked off Katara's many grievances on her remaining fingers, looking bored. “Am I forgetting anything?”

Sokka, Haru and the others snickered quietly before being silenced by a particularly icy stare from the waterbender.

“This isn’t funny, you guys! You’re all playing right into his trap!” What was wrong with her friends? Why couldn’t they see that Zuko was playing them exactly like he had played her in the caves under Ba Sing Se just months earlier?

Sokka raised an eyebrow.

“And what trap would that be, exactly?” he spoke through a mouthful of stew. Katara had done her best to vary what the group ate, but it was difficult to make meals for this many people out of what she could find in the forest, so most nights they ended up eating some sort of soup-like mixture of odds and ends.

“He’s obviously trying to lull us into a false sense of security so he can kidnap Aang and deliver him right to his father, or worse, his sister!” Katara spat, daring a glance at the traitor in question, who was eating his dinner silent and alone, leaning against a pillar separate from the rest of the group. Ever since they’d grudgingly allowed him to stay after the fight with “Combustion Man” as Sokka liked to call him, Zuko had maintained at least a 10 foot distance from everyone, as if he were afraid they’d kick him out if they remembered he was there.

“But Katara, he tried to call off his assassin. He risked his life to save us today.” Aang said this to the sleeve of his robes instead of to Katara, afraid to contradict her directly. He puffed up his chest and continued, “Besides, I could take him. Worst comes to worst, I’m not the same Avatar I was when he captured me at the North Pole. I’ve mastered three out of the four elements!” He grinned proudly, but it faded as he took in the furious look on Katara’s face

“That’s not the point! You shouldn’t _have_ to worry about fighting him! He shouldn’t be here at all!” She looked around the fire at her group of friends, imploring them to back her up, but no one would meet her eye. They’d been fielding her complaints all day, and they were obviously getting tired of it. She huffed angrily.

“Fine. If you’re all so determined to ignore the obvious, there’s nothing I can do to stop you. But don’t come crying to me when your new best friend gets tired of being good!” Katara exclaimed, slamming her bowl down and stalking off to her corner of the temple, trying to ignore the crestfallen look on Aang's face.

“Katara, wait!” Aang exclaimed.

The remorse in his voice almost made her turn around. Almost. She continued to stomp away, passing Zuko slouched over his bowl of stew like he was exhausted. Drained from a long day of lying and conniving, she was certain. He shifted uncomfortably as she passed, making sure to glare daggers at his stupid face. It was a small consolation to see real fear flash in his eyes before he carefully arranged his face in a neutral expression, swallowing hard. She must have really made an impression when she threatened him earlier. Good. She had meant what she said. Her friends may be too blind to see it, but she knew what kind of a person Zuko really was, and she would not hesitate to prove to him just how far she would go to protect Aang.

* * *

That night, Katara tossed and turned, unable to sleep on the hard stone of the temple floor, even wrapped in her thick fur sleeping bag. If she was being honest, the terrain wasn’t the only reason she couldn’t sleep. She couldn’t get Zuko out of her head. How vulnerable he had seemed in the crystal cavern. How he had winced and stiffened when she’d laid a hand on his scar, as if the skin hadn’t been touched since it had been burned, and he had come to expect the same fiery pain from any sort of contact. The way he had relaxed after the initial shock, leaning into the cool, smooth skin of her palm as though it was the lifeline he desperately needed. And then, how the bastard had betrayed her just minutes later, joining his sister without a second thought. Because of Zuko, Aang had almost died. In fact, he had died! She shuttered when she thought of what would’ve happened to Aang if she had used up her spirit water healing Zuko’s scar. She was ashamed of the way she had let Zuko manipulate her, so reminiscent of Jet. Twice she’d been lied to by boys she’d deemed tortured and misunderstood. She was done giving people the benefit of the doubt, especially the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. She wouldn’t let him fool her again.

She was finally close to sleep when a sudden noise from the kitchen area made her shoot up from her sleeping bag on high alert. She wanted to investigate immediately, but nearly a year of sleeping outside (where plenty of inconsequential noises happen throughout the night) had conditioned her to be cautious. She strained her ears to listen again, and heard it more faintly this time, but still unmistakable: it was the sound of running water. She peered around the large antichamber and noted that her friends were all fast asleep. Even Toph, who normally would have sensed the vibrations, was snoring like a freight train, her bangs fluttering against her forehead with every exhale. _I guess it really has been a long day for all of us,_ Katara thought. She continued to scan the room until her eyes landed on Zuko’s sleeping bag, pushed as far away from the group as possible. It was empty. Katara narrowed her eyes. What to do? If she woke everyone up just because Zuko was out of his sleeping bag, she didn’t think she’d get a lot of support from her exhausted friends. They’d think she was even more paranoid than they already thought. 

Coming to the conclusion that this was more of a solo snooping endeavor, she gingerly crept out of her sleeping bag, careful not to wake Sokka or Toph, who walled her in on either side. She padded across the room, her moonlit figure casting a long shadow on the high walls of the temple. Following the sound of running water, she reached the domed area that served as their kitchen. She had rigged a nearby waterfall to flow into a makeshift sink that could be used for washing dishes, a chore that always fell to her despite the fact that she also made the meals and did the laundry. Tonight, however, she had stormed off before dinner was over, leaving the task undone. 

Or so she thought. 

As she reached the kitchen, she saw Zuko standing in front of the sink, facing away from her. He was washing the dishes! She nearly gasped out loud, and mentally ran through all the possible nefarious motivations he could have to do something so seemingly mundane. Maybe he was covering the plates in some sort of poisonous substance that would kill the group immediately come breakfast time. Or, perhaps he was going to break their cups one by one, so they had nothing to drink out of? No, Katara, conceded, that would really be more petty than evil, and besides, why would he wash them first? She came to the conclusion that this was just another way for him to worm his way into the group’s good graces so he could finally launch an attack. 

She laughed to herself bitterly. Typical. This tactic might work on her naive friends, but he couldn’t fool her. She wouldn’t be swayed by him doing her chores, no matter how much she detested constantly having to do the dishes by herself. However, she couldn’t think of any reason not to take advantage of his apparent penchant for housework. Katara stood there watching him methodically scrub plates for a long time, but he never turned around. 

Eventually, having deemed this particular activity a non-threat even from Zuko, she tiptoed back to her sleeping bag, eyes growing heavier by the minute. _This may be fun,_ she mused to herself, smiling slightly as she drifted off to sleep, her mind full of visions of Zuko doing her laundry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1 is here!! Ah!! I know it's a bit short, but I just wanted to introduce my Katara and give a bit of insight into how she's feeling right now. It must be hard being the mom of the group when everyone is so determined to put themselves in danger and trust fire nation weasels! This is my first story on ao3, let me know what you think by leaving me a review or kudos and I will love you forever!!


	2. Chapter 2

Zuko was used to feeling out of control. After all, it was his inability to keep his mouth shut that had gotten him banished in the first place. But what others saw as a weakness, he considered an asset. What others called instability or recklessness, he called the raw energy and emotion he needed to crush his more technically skilled opponents. Over the years, as his technique improved under the tutelage of his uncle, some may even say he had become a formidable warrior.

Too bad he’d forgotten how to firebend.

Earlier that day when Aang’s first training lesson had gone sour, Zuko had almost begun laughing hysterically. It checked out that as soon as he’d realized his true destiny was to help the Avatar, he’d lost the one thing that made him helpful. That’s just the kind of thing that happened to Zuko. 

It was now the second night of his stay at the Western Air Temple, and he’d given up long ago on any hope of sleep. Last night he’d taken advantage of his insomnia to wash all of the dirty dishes the others had left strewn about the fire after dinner. He figured it was the least he could do since it was his presence that had gotten Katara worked up enough to storm off in the first place, leaving the dishes untended.

Besides, he didn’t mind some soap and rags. The repetitive routine of scrub, rinse, dry, repeat soothed his anxious mind and reminded him of his days at the Jasmine Dragon. How strange it was to look back on that time with such nostalgia, when it had only been a few months earlier that he and his uncle had been Earth Kingdom refugees. It felt like years.

The time he had spent in Ba Sing Se was probably the happiest he’d been since his mother died.  _ Not died, disappeared,  _ he had to remind himself. Father had confirmed that she was alive. 

He shook his head as if he could get the thought to vanish. He couldn’t think too hard about his mother right now, or he’d break. Things like that were the reason why he couldn’t sleep. So, he washed dishes. It was something to do instead of thinking about his mother, or the way Katara looked at him like she’d like to see his head on a spike.

It seemed as though she was the one who typically picked up after everyone, a concept he found ludicrous. The best waterbender in the world, relegated to kitchen duty. He shuddered to think what would happen if she ever decided to just throw in the towel. Somehow he doubted that the others would be able to function without her following them around and cleaning up their messes. 

* * *

Tonight, Katara had made it through dinner without any outbursts, so the dishes were done, leaving Zuko with nothing to keep his hands busy. So, waiting until he could hear the steady breathing that meant everyone else had fallen asleep, he rose and left the temple as silently as possible. He wasn’t sure where he was going, just that he needed air before he suffocated on his anxieties.

As he passed by Katara, she rolled over in her sleep and he froze. She was the last person he wanted to wake up. Everyone else had started to warm to him, or at least tolerate him, but she was impossible to crack. He hesitated to admit it, but he was afraid of her. He’d begun to notice something within her that he hadn’t picked up on the many times they’d clashed in the past. Rage. Buried deep underneath all of her maternal instincts was a hostile streak that made his skin prickle. He knew that hostility. He had it within himself. Waiting until he was positive she was still asleep, Zuko strode under the temple archway and began to trudge up the cliffside.

Finding himself on the edge of the cliff above the temple, Zuko ran through every firebending technique he knew. He even practiced the deep breathing exercises that Uncle used to make him drill for hours on end. It was pointless. He couldn’t produce much more than a tiny, weak ball of flame. 

Zuko had never been very spiritual, but now he was praying to any god who would listen for some sort of divine intervention. If he couldn’t get his firebending back, the Avatar and his friends would certainly cast him out.  _ They’d have every right to, _ he thought bitterly. What use did they have for a nonbending Fire Nation Prince? Ex-Prince, that is. He’d definitely burned that bridge, and he was glad for it, but it meant that if the Avatar ousted him he’d truly be out of options. Maybe he could move to Ember Island and be a fisherman for the rest of his life. That would be nice. 

After producing yet another lackluster burst of flame, Zuko let himself fall back onto the cool earth. He stared up at the night sky, feeling numb. The moon was now directly above him, confirming that he’d been at this for hours. He couldn’t imagine deriving energy from the moon. To him, the sun was the source of everything. Warmth, heat, and light all came from the sun. The moon provided its own kind of light: more subtle, less brilliant. Nothing like the strong, steady beams of sunlight he was so accustomed to. As the moonlight washed over him gently, he felt himself calming down. It was nice, he supposed. 

“What are you doing?” 

The voice came from somewhere on his left side, which explained why he didn’t hear her coming. Toph. 

Zuko scrambled up, dusting himself off fervently until he remembered she couldn’t see the state of his clothes. Couldn’t see him at all, for that matter.

“What are you doing here?” Zuko winced as he heard his tone, harsh even to his own ears. He would have to work on that. No one here was out to get him. Well, except Katara. 

“I asked you first,” Toph reminded him, plopping herself down in the grassy indentation his body had left. “Mhm, warm,” She grinned, wriggling around until she was comfortable, “We gotta keep you around, Sparky.”

“Don’t call me that,” Zuko said flatly, but sat down next to her all the same. 

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Of all of the Avatar’s friends, he liked her the most. He bet people underestimated her. He of all people knew what that was like. She’d been the first to trust him, and after he burned her feet that first night he had been so mortified he’d contemplated jumping off the cliff and ending things right then and there. He was relieved to see that she didn’t seem to hate his guts. She turned her head suddenly, as if she could sense him watching her.

“I’m going to ask you one more time, and see if you can find it in you to answer,” she said dryly, “What. Are. You. Doing? You should be resting up for your big field trip with Aang tomorrow.”

Zuko would’ve almost mistaken her question for friendly concern, if she hadn’t punched him hard in the arm immediately after. 

“I can’t sleep,” he said.

“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” she rolled her eyes, “I can see that.”

“No you can’t,” Zuko replied without thinking.  _ Shit.  _

Toph’s eyebrows rose in surprise, and she grinned slowly.

“Sparky, do my ears deceive me, or was that a joke?” 

Zuko’s eyes narrowed.

“I don’t make jokes.”

“Sounds like you just did,” she poked him.

“No, I didn’t.”

“Yeah, you did.”

He sighed. Maybe he’d been too hasty in his praise of the earthbender. She was starting to get on his nerves.

“Fine. I guess I did.”

Toph smiled slightly and punched him again, lighter this time.

“As much as I needed this witty rapport- antagonizing Sokka gets dull after a while- you still haven’t answered the question,” She blinked her huge milky eyes at him. He could tell she was trying to be gentle, as if not to spook a faun. 

He groaned inwardly.  _ Even the blind girl feels bad for you. You’re that pathetic.  _ The last thing he wanted was a heart-to-heart, but Toph was as stubborn as her element. He knew she wouldn’t leave him alone until he spilled his guts. 

“What if it doesn’t work?” he said, finally.

“If what doesn’t work?”

“Finding the source of all firebending. Even if we discover that there are still dragons out there, what if they won’t train me? They’ll know who I am. Who my father is. What my ancestors did to their species,” he said all of this bitterly, and on one breath. This was what had been plaguing him ever since the idea had been suggested. What if the dragons deemed him unworthy? He was sure they would. He didn’t deserve to learn from them. He was the reason they had to go into hiding, if they still existed at all.

Toph cocked her head to the side, thinking.

“So?” she said, after a few seconds of silence, during which Zuko grew more and more uncomfortable. He wasn’t used to talking about his feelings.

“So?” He repeated incredulously, “So, then we’re toast! The Avatar has no teacher, and I’m completely useless,” he backtracked, “Not that the second part matters. If I don’t get my bending back, I’ll get Aang to drop me off somewhere far away. I won’t bother you all anymore.” 

He said this as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, but before he knew it he felt the impact of Toph’s fist on his bicep again.  _ Ow.  _ He was going to have a permanent bruise there if she kept it up. 

“Sparky, don’t be ridiculous. Did you really think we’d let you off the hook that easy? Firebender or not, you’re still the former Prince of the Fire Nation. You know their ways better than any of us ever could. That makes you our most valuable asset when it comes to defeating the Firelord,” she nudged him affectionately, “Besides, you haven’t paid your debt yet, remember? I can barely walk after what you did to my feet! Your main purpose at this point is to be my personal transportation device.”

He knew the last part wasn’t true, since Katara had healed Toph’s feet days ago, but he didn’t protest. There was a warm feeling growing in his chest, of being needed. Of being wanted. Even if the others still only tolerated him, it seemed as though he’d found an ally in Toph, or maybe even a friend. 

“You, Sparky, are my slave, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” she said with satisfaction, lying back with her hands behind her head as if the issue were settled once and for all.

He didn’t know what to say to that, so they just sat together for a while in companionable silence.

“Katara hates me,” he blurted out suddenly, almost involuntarily.

“Katara hates everyone,” Toph scoffed, “When I first joined the group, Sugar Queen and I battled constantly.”

“Really?” Zuko said skeptically

“Really. She was no match for me, though,” Toph smirked, cracking her knuckles smugly. She waited a beat before continuing, “She’ll come around. She’s just protective of Aang, and you did kind of chase them around the world for a while. Give her time.”

“There’s one thing I don’t understand,” Zuko began hesitantly.

Toph raised an eyebrow, inviting him to continue.

“I saw her watching me last night. When I was washing the dishes.” He found it hard to believe that she hadn’t noticed the huge shadow she’d cast on the wall directly in front of the sink. Katara was a great waterbender, but she didn’t seem to have a lot of common sense. “She stood there for ages, but never said anything. Why?”

Toph snorted.

“Classic Sugar Queen. She was probably thinking of all the ways she's gonna milk your Fire Nation guilt for all it’s worth. Expect a lot of chores in your future, my friend.”

“Oh.” 

Zuko felt that warm, hopeful feeling spread again. Maybe she didn’t hate him after all. Or, she could learn not to. Making him do chores was a step up from mentally writing his obituary, in Zuko’s book at least.

“Come on, Sparky,” Toph stood up, holding out her hand in his general direction “do your duty as my slave and give me a piggyback ride back to camp.”

She said this with a completely straight face, so she definitely wasn’t kidding. Zuko sighed.  _ I guess there are worse punishments,  _ he thought. He bent down and Toph scrambled onto his back, a little too gleefully for his taste. 

“You’re enjoying this too much,” he accused, but began trudging dutifully back to the temple with her clinging to him like a hog monkey.

“Man, Sparky, you’re warm!” Toph exclaimed, ignoring him, “I’ve decided you now have two roles: transportation and space heater!”

He grumbled, smiling slightly in spite of himself. 

* * *

When they arrived back in the antichamber where everyone lay fast asleep, Zuko placed Toph down gently next to her sleeping bag. He started towards the faraway corner where his sleeping bag lay, but Toph beat him to it. 

“I don’t think so, pal,” she dragged his sleeping bag to the center of the room, where everyone else had formed a semicircle with their blankets. He wanted to protest that  _ no one wanted him here,  _ and  _ Katara was going to lose it when she woke up and saw him so close to the group,  _ but he was afraid to wake anyone up. He resigned himself to his new sleeping arrangement and crawled into his sleeping bag, nervously eyeing the others-especially Katara- but before long, he couldn’t keep his eyes open.

Lulled by Toph’s soft snoring, Zuko slept for the first time since the invasion. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2!! I love Zuko and Toph's friendship. It's one of my favorite dynamics to read about, so I thought I'd put my own spin on it.  
> Quick question for you all: Do you prefer these shorter chapters that I'm able to post more frequently, or would you prefer longer chapters but less frequent updates?  
> please please please comment so I don't feel like a crazy old woman shouting into the void :)


	3. Chapter 3

_ Sun. Sand. Palm trees swayed in the light breeze, and the sound of gulls crying echoed down the empty beach. Katara sighed contentedly. She hadn’t been this relaxed in ages. Hell, she wasn’t sure she’d ever been this relaxed. She tilted her face to the sky, enjoying the warm feeling of the sun on her skin. _

She opened her eyes and found herself face to face with Zuko.

He was obviously still asleep, his facial muscles relaxed and free of their usual scowl. His hair was disheveled, and the way he was lying, Katara could barely see the angry scar that covered half of his face. He looked… young. He was radiating heat, which explained the origin of Katara’s beach fantasy.

She clocked all this in the half a second she stared at him before springing up and uncorking her waterskin, enraged.  _ What was he doing? Why was he here? What had happened to the 10 foot radius policy?  _

Surrounding herself with tentacles of water, Katara felt a little better about the situation. She’d like to see him try and attack her now. She felt even better when he opened his eyes slowly, blinking as he adjusted to the sight of her bearing down on him angrily. His face paled and he shot to his feet, lifting his hands in a placating gesture. He opened his mouth to speak, but Katara beat him to it. 

“What were you trying to do, attack me in my sleep? Nice try, _ Prince Zuko, _ ” she sneered, water swirling around her menacingly. 

Zuko’s eyes widened in panic. 

“Of course not! I-” 

From behind Zuko, Katara heard Toph groan. 

“Seriously, Katara? I made him move his stuff over here,” Her voice was muffled by the pillow she was presently shoving her face into, obviously not pleased at being awake so early.

Katara sputtered indignantly.

“You- what? Why would you do that? He’s not trustworthy!” 

“Sparky seemed so pathetic in his depression corner. I could sense it. I have a heart, you know,” she grumbled. 

“Depression corner?” Zuko exclaimed, affronted, but he shut his mouth quick when he caught a glimpse of a livid Katara. 

Sokka piped up from behind Katara, his voice bleary with sleep. 

“It’s not like he could hurt us right now, anyway. His claws are clipped.”

Katara considered this. Sokka was right, Zuko had seemed to have lost his firebending. What little fire she’d seen him produce yesterday _had_ been pretty insignificant… Was it possible he was faking, stoking the element of surprise? No. He had too much pride for that. Losing his bending was too embarrassing. 

“Now, would you both  _ please  _ can it, so I can go back to sleep? No one in their right mind would be awake right now,” Sokka rolled over, intent on getting at least another hour of sleep. 

Actually, this was around the time Katara would typically get up to start preparing breakfast and taking down the laundry she’d hung the previous day. But Sokka didn’t know that. 

Katara glared at Zuko one last time, but replaced the water in her waterskin, sighing.

“Fine. But stay away from me.”

She stalked off to the kitchen. She was already up, might as well start the day. Besides, it’s not like she could be expected to sleep with that weasel so close by. 

* * *

Katara stood in front of a large pot of oatmeal, fuming. She was still angry about the way she’d been woken up this morning, and now she couldn’t get a cooking fire to start. She hit flint against steel for what felt like the millionth time, but a spark wouldn’t form. She groaned and contemplated banging her head against the wall. This was shaping up to be a great day.

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She was being watched. She whipped around to see Zuko leaning against the doorway, looking conflicted. 

She scowled.

“I thought I told you to stay away from me,” she said tersely, turning her back to him as she hit the two rocks together again, with no success. She made a quiet noise of frustration, not wanting Zuko to know she couldn’t do this simple task herself.

“Do you need some help?” He said hesitantly, making sure not to move any closer without her permission.

“I don’t  _ need  _ anything from you,” Katara narrowed her eyes and he shrunk back slightly, “but I suppose you could light these coals. If you want.” 

He nodded, seeming satisfied that she hadn’t bitten his head off. He pointed a finger at the pot, and the coals immediately heated. Not wanting to thank him, Katara went a different route.

“I’m surprised you can even do that!” Katara sneered, “I assumed you’d be totally useless now that you suck at firebending. But I guess even a failure can heat up some lousy coals.”

She expected him to scoff or make some dig at her, but unfortunately for Katara, this was the kind of self hatred in which Zuko had always excelled.

“You’re right. I am useless. The Avatar deserves better.” Zuko muttered, looking away. Standing there with his hair still mussed from sleep and his posture slouched in obvious shame, she almost pitied him.

_ Well, this is no fun at all, _ Katara thought grumpily. How dare he make her feel bad for him after all he’s done? She fell silent, not feeling much like fighting anymore, especially when her opponent was so obviously at an emotional disadvantage. After a few seconds, Zuko cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Well, I guess I’ll go, then.” He turned and made to leave. 

“Wait!” Katara exclaimed. She groaned inwardly.  _ I can’t believe I’m doing this.  _

Zuko froze, his face hopeful.

“Can you make tea? I need to go collect the laundry, and I don’t have time to do both,” Katara said reluctantly, nodding at the empty teapot on the counter.

Zuko seemed surprised, but a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“Yeah, of course,” He immediately grabbed the teapot, making his way to the sink to fill it.

Katara rolled her eyes. He was unreasonably happy for someone who had just been asked to do one of her chores.

“This doesn’t mean we’re good, you know.” She said this to the back of his head, and he stilled, the only sound between them the trickling of the sink as the teapot filled with water.

“Yeah. I know.” He said quietly. 

“You chased me and my friends across the world.”

“I know.”

“You betrayed us in Ba Sing Se,” saying it out loud made her remember how helpless she’d felt clinging to Aang’s lifeless body after Azula shot him full of lightning, not sure if he’d ever wake up.

“I know.”

“Aang almost  _ died _ ,” her voice cracked slightly with the effort of holding back a wave of emotion that had suddenly rushed to the surface. She was pretty sure she was still processing that awful night.

His shoulders tightened. 

“I know. I’m sorry,” He sounded defeated, “You’ll never know how sorry I am. What I did was inexcusable. I don’t expect you to forgive me. I wouldn’t forgive me." 

He still hadn’t turned around. Katara was glad, because it meant he didn’t see the tear she wiped hurriedly from her cheek. 

“Good. Because I don’t know if I can forgive you.” Her voice started out small, but hardened by the end of the statement. It felt right to say it out loud. Helpful in the kitchen or not, he didn’t deserve her forgiveness.

She went to gather the laundry, leaving Zuko standing there with a full teapot, looking crestfallen.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Katara and Zuko finally spoke to each other! It was kind of a bummer of a conversation, though.  
> I know this one is really short, but you guys did say you preferred frequent updates (thank you thank you to those who commented on chapter 2!!)  
> Let me know that I'm not just talking to myself by leaving me a comment and I'll love you forever!!


	4. Chapter 4

“Oh yeah? What’s your little form called?” 

Zuko cringed slightly.

“The Dancing Dragon,” he mumbled, looking sheepish.

All of the gathered children and teens laughed, making Zuko scowl. He and Aang had just returned from their visit to the Sun Warriors, both having learned the secret to firebending. How dare they laugh at him! Hadn’t he just shown them that he was now capable of harnessing more power than ever before?  _ If the Avatar’s friends knew what was good for them, they’d be cowering in awe,  _ Zuko thought. 

“Hold on a second!” Sokka sounded excited, which was never a good sign, “Do you guys think you could, like, make fireworks?” 

Zuko just stared at him.

“What?” he said through gritted teeth. 

“You know, fireworks! Big explosions! Fun colors! A great time had by all! Is this ringing a bell?” 

“I know what fireworks are, Sokka.” he said flatly.

Sokka clapped his hands in delight. 

“Perfect! So I was thinking-”

Before Sokka could go into what Zuko was sure would be a lengthy play by play of an imaginary fireworks show created via the Dancing Dragon, he cut him off.

“This isn’t a joke!” He stood up angrily, “Don’t you all get it? With this new technique, Aang and I will be unstoppable! We may finally have a chance at defeating my father, and you want to talk about  _ fireworks?”  _

Zuko did not understand these people. Every passing second was one second closer to Sozin’s Comet, and every second they wasted brought his father closer to world domination.

“Zuko, remember what I told you earlier, on Appa?” Aang’s voice was far too cheerful in Zuko’s opinion for someone who would have to defeat the firelord in less than a month. “In our group, we like to keep a positive attitude.” 

“Yeah Sparky, what’s your problem?” Toph said, “You have your firebending back, you both learned the Super Special Secret Dragon Handshake or whatever, and there’s still a month until the Comet,” she leaned back with a grin, interlacing her fingers around the back of her head, “We’re golden!”

Zuko groaned internally as he looked around at the group surrounding him. They all seemed relaxed, as if the entire fate of the world didn’t rest on their young shoulders. Except Katara. Her shoulders were hunched, her eyebrows knitted together as if she were debating something internally. 

He watched her as the others humored Sokka’s firework idea. Aang nodded enthusiastically as Sokka made gestures that Zuko assumed were meant to represent fireworks exploding accompanied by creative vocal sound effects.

Katara still hadn’t said a word, but Zuko could tell she was ramping up to something.

Suddenly she looked up, making direct eye contact with him. There was a determined glint there, and some of that repressed rage. 

“Do you really think we can defeat your father with what you learned?” She asked.

“Yeah, I do,” Zuko said simply.  _ What was she getting at? _

“Then prove it.” Her eyes narrowed, her voice acidic. “Duel me.” 

* * *

Katara knew she was being dramatic, but she didn’t care. Until now Zuko had been a non threat, having lost his bending. But now, if what he said was true, he was more powerful than ever before. If Zuko decided to turn on them at the last minute, he’d be impossible to stop, and he’d know all of their battle plans. This was her last chance to show her friends how dangerous Zuko really was.

The issue was, he still hadn’t answered her.

“Did you not hear me? I  _ said,  _ let’s spar. That is, if you’re up to the challenge.” She raised an eyebrow, daring him to decline. 

Zuko finally seemed to snap back to reality. He gulped. 

“Katara, I don’t know if that’s a good idea-” 

“What? Scared your little dance won’t hold up against a waterbending master?” She ignored the disapproving look Aang shot her.

Zuko sighed, exasperated.

“Once again, not a dance-”

Katara interrupted him again.

“Then what’s the problem? I challenged you to a fight. Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you  _ honor-bound  _ to accept?” She smiled triumphantly, knowing she’d nailed him. Zuko couldn’t refuse anything if his honor was involved.

He looked at her for a moment, a silent battle happening between them. He frowned slightly, but nodded once. 

“Fine,” he squared his shoulders, “Suit yourself.”

“Oh, this is what I’m talking about! A good old fashioned rumble!” Toph smacked her fist against her palm and grinned. 

“Are you guys sure-” Aang began anxiously, but was cut off by Toph chanting “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

Soon, the others had joined in, and Aang fell silent, peering at Katara and Zuko warily. 

“I’m sure,” They said in unison, the former sounding much more sure than the latter.

* * *

Katara and Zuko stood facing each other roughly ten feet apart as was customary for an Earth Rumble Duel, since Toph had insisted she referee. The rest of the Avatar’s friends stood along the sidelines of their makeshift arena but gave the two benders a very wide berth, knowing the kind of damage two masters could do to their surroundings, especially if the masters in question didn’t like each other very much. 

Katara definitely did not like Zuko. 

She glared at him from her side of the arena, waterskins uncorked, already in a fighting stance. Zuko really wasn’t enthusiastic about this whole thing. Fighting her would only give her more reasons to hate him, which was the opposite of what he needed. Regardless, he sunk into a bending stance as Toph began reciting the rules of the fight. 

“Ladies and gentlemen and Sokka, welcome to Earth Rumble Seven!” Toph boomed. She sensed the exact intonation and volume required to make her voice echo off her surroundings, so the sound bounced around the cliffside, making her sound like a legitimate announcer.

Everyone whooped raucously but Aang, who still looked worried. 

“The rules are simple. First one to knock their opponent out of the ring, wins!” Toph punched the ground and a cylinder of rock came barreling up, shooting her into the sky. From her new outpost, Toph continued, “Now, I want no funny business.” she paused and reconsidered. “Actually, any and all funny business is welcome.” She took in a massive amount of air for her tiny body, and bellowed, “Begin!”

* * *

After a moment so silent you could hear a pin drop, Katara was surging forward.  _ Show them he’s dangerous. _ She flung icicles at Zuko, but he easily deflected them. She pelted him with golf ball sized hail pellets, and he flicked each of them away with alarming dexterity. She received no counterattack, which frustrated her beyond reason.

“Playing the defensive, are you?” She taunted.  _ Why wouldn’t he fight her like an equal? _

“I don’t want to fight you, Katara!” he exclaimed, the beginnings of annoyance evident on his face.

“Why not?” She continued to drive him back with icicles and hail until he was on the edge of the line they’d drawn in the dirt, signaling the parameters of the arena. One more step, and he’d be out. She stopped, her element swirling around her, “Is it because I’m a girl? Am I  _ unworthy  _ to fight the Prince of the Fire Nation?” She continued to inch him backwards, “Or are you scared you’ll lose to me, lowly Water Tribe scum that I am?” she was on a roll now, and she found she couldn’t stop berating him, “If only your crazy old Uncle could see you now. Not even honorable enough to put up a fight. He’d think you were pathetic,  _ Prince Zuko.”  _

When she brought up his uncle, something in Zuko’s stance changed. His golden eyes darkened in shame, but there was anger there, too.  _ Finally.  _

“Don’t talk about my uncle,” He spat through gritted teeth, “Insult me all you want, I deserve it. But leave Uncle out of this.”

Katara had struck a nerve. She began to twist the knife.

“Poor Uncle Iroh. I wonder where he is now? Probably rotting in some Fire Nation prison cell. But you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” Katara said innocently.

“I said, leave my uncle out of this!” Blasts of flame shot out of Zuko’s outstretched hands, which until now had been attempting to placate Katara. 

He began to push her back the way she’d done to him, plums of smoke arising where his fireballs hit her icicles. Soon, they were back where they’d started, circling each other in the center of the arena. Their friends had been cheering, enjoying the spectacle, but one by one they’d fallen silent, even Toph. They now watched anxiously as the two benders sparred ferociously, neither showing any sign of tiring. 

“You know, I’ve gone through a lot of different possible explanations for why you hate me so much,” Zuko said calmly, all the while continuing to hurtle fireballs at Katara. 

“Oh?” Katara shot back, matching him move for move, “And what did you come up with?”

“I used to think it was because I’d tried to capture the Avatar. I put you all through so much, and I’ll gladly apologize every day for the rest of my life,” Katara flung a tentacle of water in his direction, and he easily turned it into steam before continuing, “But no, that couldn’t be it. Aang has far more reason to hate me for that, yet he’s chosen to put it behind him. You’re the only one who hasn’t forgiven me.”

Katara said nothing, only began gathering water from a nearby waterfall into a massive wave. 

“Then, I assumed it had to do with Ba Sing Se. The decision I made that night was the wrong one. I not only betrayed the Avatar, but I betrayed your trust, specifically. I’ve never regretted anything more in my life.” Zuko noted what Katara was doing, and began harnessing energy of his own, heat radiating off his body in waves. “The only thing that kept me sane once I was home in the Fire Nation, the place I thought I’d been trying to get back to, was this nagging hope that Aang had survived.”

Katara could barely hear him now over the sound of rushing water, a hurricane forming around her. The humidity in the arena had grown unbearable.

“Then, I figured it out.” He was yelling now, fighting to be heard, “It’s none of those things. You hate me because of something I didn’t even do.” A steady column of fire had begun to raise behind him, glowing brilliantly in the late afternoon light. He squinted at Katara through the haze of fast moving liquid surrounding her, imploring her to understand.

“Katara,  _ I didn’t kill your mother!”  _

Katara’s vision went funny. She heard a guttural scream of rage, and realized belatedly that she was the one who’d made it. Her ears began to ring and she surged forward, Zuko following a moment later. Water and Fire collided, hissing as a gigantic cloud of steam exploded between them. When it dissipated, both benders were sprawled in the dirt, unconscious. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my. That was dramatic, wasn't it? Bit of a cliffhanger, too. This is the longest chapter I've written so far, and also the most action packed! I went a little out of my comfort zone with that fight scene (I'm more of a dialogue kinda girl)  
> Writing all this angst is bumming me out, but it's necessary. Can't have enemies to lovers without the enemies part, amiright?Let me know what you thought of this chapter by leaving me a comment, pretty please. I need feedback to live like Tinkerbell needs applause.


	5. Chapter 5

Zuko woke before Katara. 

Forcing his eyes open against the glare of the sun had been difficult, but not as hard as figuring out what the hell had happened. His head throbbed and he could just barely make out Toph’s silhouette as she leaned over him, blocking out the brightness.

"...heart is beating,” Toph’s voice faded in and out as the ringing in his ears subsided. He struggled to prop himself up, surveying the scene. 

They were in the arena, and Toph was the only one by his side. The rest of the group was huddled around a lump on the ground about ten feet away. Zuko squinted, but a fine mist hung in the air, obscuring whatever they were looking at.

As it cleared, he caught a glimpse of Water Tribe blue. The color drained from his face.  _ Katara barreling towards him, tears streaming down her face, surrounded by a hurricane of her own making. Him having no choice but to come forward himself, engulfed in flames. Colliding in a cacophony of elements.  _

_ Oh, shit. _

Before he knew it he was staggering to his feet, waving off Toph’s protests. He needed to get to her. Make sure she was okay.  _ She had to be okay.  _ She was supposed to be a master waterbender. A mediocre bender like him shouldn’t be able to take her down. Azula, maybe. But Zuko? That wasn’t possible. 

As he got closer to her crumpled form, he started to feel sick. Her eyes were closed and her arm was twisted at a strange angle, though that could’ve just been from the way Sokka and Aang were clinging to her. 

_ Had he really done this to her?  _

Aang looked up at the sound of Zuko’s footsteps. 

“Zuko!” 

Zuko could barely hear him over the sound of blood rushing to his head. He was going to throw up, he was sure of it. He’d let one little comment about his uncle escalate into  _ this, _ and now here she was, broken and unconscious. This was all his fault. He’d had no right to say what he’d said. He of all people knew what it was like to lose a mother. The look on Katara’s face as she’d come hurtling towards him, sobbing, would follow him to his grave. 

“...So glad you’re okay!” As Aang’s voice finally made it to Zuko’s brain, he froze.  _ What did he just say? _

Sokka, who was cradling Katara’s head in his lap, glanced up too. 

“Good, you’re awake! Do you happen to know how to set a bone? I think she fell funny after your little display, and she can’t exactly heal herself right now.” 

Zuko blinked uncomprehendingly. 

“What?” he said.

“I don’t know, did any of that good Fire Nation breeding pay off? We need to set Katara’s arm. She’s the one who usually does the first aid stuff, but she’s kind of, you know, out of it,” he gestured to his sister, who was still unconscious in his arms. 

Zuko gaped at Sokka, incredulous.

“Don’t you blame me for this?” He said disbelievingly, “It’s all my fault. I let my emotions get out of control!” He cast his eyes downward, ashamed, “I shouldn’t even be here. I’m obviously a danger to the group.” 

Sokka furrowed his brow, looking mystified. 

“What? No. Don’t be dumb. You went charging at each other like two angry saber-tooth moose lions. I don’t think either of you were in a stable state of mind,” He removed one hand from behind Katara’s skull to make the symbol universally recognized for ‘crazy,’ twirling his finger around next to his head, “Besides, my sister was really giving it to you before you started getting all philosophical and throwing her off her rhythm,” He grinned down at Katara proudly and patted her on the head.

“Yeah, Zuko, Katara isn’t exactly helpless.” Aang piped up from where he was examining Katara’s left shoulder, which looked sickeningly out of place, “She just landed badly on her arm.” 

He guessed all of that fall training Iroh had insisted he receive had actually paid off. He knew instinctively how to angle his body to minimize injury upon impact, but Katara didn’t have the benefit of that training. 

“But she still hasn’t woken up! What if she’s not breathing?” Zuko was starting to feel a bit frantic.  _ How could they all be so nonchalant?  _

“Relax, Sparky,” Suddenly Toph was standing beside him, “I checked her heart rate ages ago. Did you really think I’d check you before Sugar Queen? I mean, I like you and all, but seniority still stands. I had to make sure she was alive first, so I could decide whether you and I needed to have a rumble of our own,” she said, punching him hard on the shoulder. Her presence at least made him feel a bit more calm. He trusted her judgement more than the hippie and the clown in front of him.

“We’re just surprised that you came out okay,” Aang said solemnly, his eyes wide, “That was a serious explosion you two made!” 

Zuko looked down at himself, feeling present in his body for the first time since he’d woken up, seen Katara, and gotten tunnel vision. Besides a few scratches on his arms and some achiness that he knew was a precursor to bruising, he was fine. That mental box checked, he returned his full attention to the issue at hand. 

“Still, shouldn’t she have woken up by now?” Zuko couldn’t shake his rising panic. What if she didn’t wake up? Her death would be his fault. He’d never forgive himself. 

Toph, sensing Zuko’s rapidly increasing heart rate, bent down to check Katara’s pulse again. She frowned, and adjusted the positioning of her hand on Katara’s exposed neck. 

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Zuko’s heart was now hammering like a jackrabbit’s.  _ Oh God.  _

“I think she’s… asleep?” Toph sounded almost unsure, which was rare.

“Asleep?” Sokka seemed bewildered, “How could she fall asleep after something like that?”

“I don’t know, but it’s what her pulse is telling me. Passed out and asleep feel like two different things, and she’s definitely asleep.” Toph shrugged, “Maybe she really needed a nap?”

Suddenly, it dawned on him.

“She’s exhausted,” Zuko said. It made a lot of sense, actually. Why she’d been so easily provoked into losing control. Why she still hadn’t woken up. 

The others turned to look at him, confused.

“What do you mean?” Aang cocked his head curiously. 

“Think about it. She gets up at the crack of dawn every morning, sometimes even earlier than me, to make you all breakfast. Then she washes the dishes, does the laundry,  _ folds  _ the laundry, trains Aang, and that’s just before lunch. I’ve only been here a few days, but it seems to me like that’s got to be pretty exhausting.” Zuko gazed at Katara’s lifeless form with something akin to pity, “If I were her, I’d need a nap too.”

After a few moments of silence, Zuko looked up to see everyone staring at him with varying degrees of wonder. He squirmed uncomfortably under their collective gaze.

“What are you all staring at?” He said defensively. 

“Wow, Sparky, I didn’t know you were so observant.” Toph said wryly, a knowing smile forming on her face.  _ What was that supposed to mean? _

“I think that’s the most you’ve ever said in one sitting, Zuko,” Sokka seemed bemused. 

Zuko colored slightly and rubbed the back of his neck self consciously.

“I just know what I saw, and it seems like Katara is shouldering a lot,” he honestly couldn’t believe he was the only one who’d noticed.  _ Weren’t they supposed to be her friends? _

“I didn’t even realize,” Aang frowned down at Katara guiltily, “She definitely deserves some rest, and we all need to do better. She shouldn’t have to do all that stuff on her own!”

“Agreed,” Sokka said, and hoisted Katara up in his arms, “First official action of the Katara Breakdown Support Society is: let my sister take a well earned nap!” 

With that, Sokka began marching back towards the temple, the others following suit. 

Zuko hung back for a moment, still somewhat dazed by the trajectory of the conversation. He couldn’t believe they weren’t angry with him. Part of him knew it wasn’t entirely his fault, but a much larger part of him still felt terrible. He vowed that when Katara woke up, he’d make it up to her somehow. Even if it took a thousand clean dishes. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5! I went back to my roots for this one. No action is the easiest kind of action to write, amiright? Please keep commenting!! For example, let me know what you thought of the fight scene in the last chapter, because I'm feeling worse and worse about it lol. I just feel like it was really rushed. Writing action is so hard! Please comment if you have any thoughts on it, or this chapter, or any other aspect of the story. Your feedback keeps me writing :) Also: Thanks for 100 kudos!! That's awesome! It makes me so happy that you guys seem to be enjoying the story.


	6. Chapter 6

When Katara opened her eyes, she was immediately aware of two things. Firstly, her arm was throbbing. Secondly, she was ravenously hungry. She blinked a few times, trying to remove the remnants of sleep and get her bearings. Her muscles moved sluggishly as she stretched. She felt like she’d been asleep for years. 

She glanced down at her left arm, which was wrapped in a makeshift sling of sorts.  _ I wonder who did that,  _ she mused offhandedly. No one but her ever did any of the first aid work. Actually, her wound was wrapped remarkably well, given the fact that whoever had done it had used what looked like a ripped up t-shirt. 

She knew she should be feeling frantic- after all, she had just woken up all alone in a strange room with what felt like a broken arm. Her last memory was of charging at Zuko in rage, but even the thought of that didn’t provoke more than a slight pang of emotion. Oddly enough, she felt tranquil, like she’d just had the best nap of her life. 

Based on the pools of light collecting on the chamber wall in front of her, she guessed it had to be midmorning.  _ How long did they let me sleep? _

Worry began to set in.  _ Has anyone made breakfast? Who’s training Aang?  _ It was her day to work with him, and they didn’t have time to waste. She couldn’t believe they’d let her sleep for so long. She had a camp to run! 

She hauled herself out of bed, staggering somewhat despite her best efforts. The ache in her arm had begun to spread to the rest of her body, and every step was strenuous. Nonetheless, she made it to the main atrium, where she found Toph and Aang surrounded by a truly outrageous amount of food.

_ Wait, what? _

Toph’s ears perked up as she sensed Katara’s approach.

“Hey, Sweetness! Enjoy your beauty rest?” her words were slightly muffled by the rice she was shoving into her mouth enthusiastically. 

Aang’s face lit up and he sprang to attention, easing Katara down onto a cushion in front of an overstuffed plate. 

“I- Yeah, thanks,” Katara mumbled, her voice thick with disuse. 

This made no sense. Had they done this? Toph was blind, and she doubted Aang knew the first thing about cooking. She honestly couldn’t even imagine him doing something as simple as boiling rice. 

“Eat up, Katara! You’ve been asleep for ages, you must be starving!” Aang flitted about cheerfully, adding even more rice to her plate, which threatened to overflow. They seemed determined not to talk about yesterday’s fight. 

Katara’s brain was working more slowly than usual, so it took her a bit to respond. Eventually, after a few hasty spoonfuls of rice to satisfy her hunger pangs, she looked up. 

“I don’t understand-” 

Her question was interrupted by her brother sauntering into the room with a large fish slung over his shoulder, looking smug. 

“Look, guys! Just call me Sokka, the master fish-catcher-guy!” he exclaimed proudly, struggling to lower the heavy catch onto a slab on the ground that they used as a carving surface. Then, noticing Katara, his face broke into a grin.

“The word you’re looking for is fisherman, Sokka,” she corrected him automatically.

"Hey, Katara! Enjoy your beauty rest?”

“That’s what I said!” Toph exclaimed.

But Katara didn’t hear them. She was too busy glaring at the figure who’d slipped quietly into the room after Sokka.

Zuko.

Now that she was fully awake, all of yesterday’s events had reentered her mind in full force. Challenging Zuko to a duel and goading him until he accepted. Him saying those things about her mother, her vision going red with rage. That awful sound of fire slamming against ice, and the strange sensation of weightlessness as she’d been thrown backwards from the explosion. Landing on her arm with a sickening crack. 

“Katara? Do you like the breakfast?” Sokka was trying to get her attention, waving his hand in front of her face. 

She tore her eyes from Zuko and tried to smile at her brother. 

“It’s amazing! Thank you all, really,” she looked at each of her friends individually, making a point to avoid eye contact with the firebender.

“It was all Zuko’s idea!” Aang threw an arm around the taller boy, who reddened immediately, “He noticed how overloaded you were, and thought we should all lend a hand!” 

“Not really, I just-” He began, sounding sheepish.

“Shut up, Zuko!” Toph interrupted, “Seriously, Sparky, you need all the points you can get with her,” she muttered coverty. She then turned to Katara, “Honestly, Sugar Queen, Zuko did most of the work. He just told us where to go and what pots to stir.” 

Katara scowled. Of course he did. First washing dishes, now this. If he thought making her breakfast would forgive the things he’d said yesterday, much less the things he’d done all year, he had another thing coming.

“It was nothing, really,” Zuko really did blush more frequently than Katara would have imagined, “Just some skills I picked up on the ship. It's a soldier's gruel, really. Not particularly appetizing.”

“I beg to differ!” Sokka was staring dreamily at the array of foods in front of him, “This is the best food I’ve seen in weeks!” Add in the fish he had just caught, and this was Sokka’s idea of heaven.

Katara shot him a look, and he backtracked.

“Um, I mean, not the best! Yours is the best, of course, my dear sweet sister!” he grinned, as if his statement had been at all convincing. 

Katara rolled her eyes. Was no one loyal these days?

“Zuko also put your arm in that sling!” Aang patted him on the shoulder proudly, “None of us knew how!”

_ Of course he did. Of course he could also cook and dress wounds.  _

_ “ _ Another skill from your sailor days?” Katara asked, her voice flat. 

Zuko was now the color of a tomato, caught between Katara’s glare and her friends’ praise.

“Um, yeah. I had to learn basic first aid, so I could patch up my crewmen,” He mumbled, sounding embarrassed. 

Katara wanted to scream. Did he have to be so  _ humble  _ all the time? No wonder her friends were falling for this! Well, she didn’t have to sit around while they all mooned over him for doing the same things she does every single day, thanklessly. She stood up.

“If you all don’t mind, I’m going to go heal my arm,” she said tightly, “Thank you for a lovely breakfast,” she smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

It seemed to do the trick though, because her friends just waved her off cheerfully and went back to their conversation. Katara sighed inwardly and stalked off to find a waterfall. 

* * *

“Hey Zuko, what’re these?” Sokka picked up an orange bag. He’d already eaten half the fish and more than three helpings of rice, and he showed no signs of slowing down.

“Those are fireflakes. I smuggled some in my bag when I left the palace,” Zuko grinned. Finally, something valuable he could contribute!

Sokka gingerly took a flake between two fingers and examined it, brow furrowed. 

“Are they any good?”

“The best the Fire Nation has to offer,” Zuko said solemnly. He was only halfway kidding. 

Sokka shrugged and popped it in his mouth. Zuko flinched, sucking air between his teeth.

“Hey buddy, those are pretty spicy-” 

He was too late. As soon as Sokka had begun chewing, the pain was evident on his face. He dropped the bag like it was covered in fire ants, his eyes streaming.

“How do you people eat that stuff?” he sputtered, trying desperately to scrape the taste off of his tongue. 

Zuko sighed. If Sokka had just  _ waited  _ a  _ half second  _ before shoving the thing in his mouth...

Aang suppressed a laugh.

“He did try to warn you, Sokka,” Aang patted Sokka’s back sympathetically as he downed an entire bucket of water, spilling the majority in the process. Toph howled with laughter. 

As much as Zuko was enjoying this casual companionship, he couldn’t focus on the people in front of him. He felt too guilty about Katara. He thought this display would show her that he was good now, but she’d still looked at him like she wanted him dead. She’d eaten her food and stormed out so quickly that he hadn’t even had the chance to apologize for yesterday. 

He still couldn’t believe how clueless her friends were. When she’d abruptly announced she was going to go heal herself, they’d all simply smiled and bid her goodbye, as if it wasn’t patently obvious that she was furious. 

He’d go after her, he decided. Just to make sure her arm was healing correctly. He’d put the sling together, after all, so it would be his fault if it was set wrong. He stood.

“I’m going for a walk,” he announced.

The group looked at him strangely, but waved him off all the same.  _ I guess their cluelessness isn’t reserved just for Katara,  _ he thought.

* * *

When Zuko found her, Katara was standing in the middle of a waterfall, the water cascading down her back and into a shallow pool at her feet. She didn’t seem to notice him, too busy wrapping the glowing blue water around her arm in a familiar healing formation. She had discarded her outer layers by the side of the pool and was clad in only her wrappings.

Zuko was so mortified that he nearly turned around and fled, but before he could escape, she whirled around abruptly. 

“Who’s there?” she squinted through the sheet of water obscuring her vision, “Oh. You.”

She went back to healing her arm, but whether she was ignoring him or waiting for him to speak, Zuko was unsure. He took her silence as an invitation, and began his pre-prepared apology speech.

“Katara, I’m sorry for what I said yesterday. I had no right to talk about your mother like that. I understand what it’s like-”

She cut him off.

“Save it,” she said flatly, the water pulsating slightly with her anger, “I don’t want to hear your apologies. In fact, I don’t want to hear you at all.”

“But Katara, you have to understand-” 

“No! I don’t care! Why can’t you accept that I  _ can’t  _ forgive you? You can wash dishes, or make breakfast, or defeat the Firelord for all I care! It won’t change what you did. The pain you caused.”

Zuko opened his mouth to retort, but Katara wasn’t done.

“And you’re right, you didn’t kill my mother. But you might as well have,” Katara could hardly believe what she was saying, but Zuko had been right about her, why she still couldn’t forgive him. The fact that he’d read her so easily, when she barely knew it herself, made the situation even more infuriating. 

She could barely see him through the water, which made it easier to deliver the final blow. 

“I understand now that there’s nothing I can do. You’re here to stay, and that’s fine. But it doesn’t mean I have to forgive you personally,” she was losing steam, and sounded more exhausted than angry as she continued quietly, “I don’t want to fight anymore. I think from now on it would be better for everyone if we just stayed out of each other's way.”

She turned back around, the conversation over. Zuko stood there for a few moments, just staring at the water, shellshocked. 

Finally, he spoke.

“If that’s what you want,” he sounded legitimately hurt, but straightened his back all the same, “I’ll just go, then.”

“I think that would be best,” Katara said quietly. This was painfully awkward, but necessary. They couldn’t go on like this. 

Eventually, he left. Katara stayed long after her arm had healed, letting the water work its way through her sore muscles and wondering if she’d done the right thing.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooo sorry it's been like a week! I was busy writing a oneshot for Zutara week (which you should totally read) and also dealing with some NASTY writer's block.   
> Let me know what you thought of this chapter by leaving me a comment, pretty please!! They sustain me!!


	7. Chapter 7

“My girlfriend turned into the moon.”

“That’s rough, buddy.”

An awkward silence stretched out between the two boys. It wasn’t often (ever) Zuko found himself on a war balloon riding to almost certain death with a boy his age who didn’t hate him, but wasn’t quite his friend either. What would be an appropriate conversation starter for this kind of situation? _ Hey, remember that time I tried to kill you? Or, how about that time you tried to kill me?  _ Somehow he felt like that wouldn’t go over very well, even with Sokka. 

When Zuko had caught him sneaking off early that morning, he’d thanked his lucky stars. Any excuse to get out from under the extreme awkwardness that had descended upon the temple was a blessing in his eyes, suicide mission or not.

Ever since the duel, Katara had avoided him like the plague, and vice versa. Zuko was still insistent on helping with chores, so they’d worked out a system of sorts: Zuko made breakfast, Katara made dinner. Katara did the washing, and Zuko took down the dry clothes later. Katara trained Aang in the morning, Zuko trained him in the afternoon. This system was so successful that they only ever had to see each other at meal times and at night. 

The rest of the group had tried to act as if nothing had changed, but it’s difficult to have a conversation in a group so small when two of its members are pretending the other doesn’t exist. So yeah, things had been tense recently, to say the least. No one could blame Zuko for wanting to get away for a few days. 

But now, it seemed like he’d escaped one uncomfortable situation just to land smack dab in the middle of another one.  _ What is it with these water tribe siblings?  _

Sokka scratched his head, whistling just to fill the silence. 

Beyond bestowing a very creative nickname (jerkbender) Sokka hadn’t spoken much to Zuko individually since he’d arrived at the temple. He was usually off doing “very manly things” as he liked to call them, but Zuko suspected he was goofing off more than he was catching fish, if his daily hauls were indicative of anything.

Still, besides Katara, Sokka seemed to be the most responsible of the group. He was always worrying about something, and Zuko had heard him muttering battle plans in his sleep once or twice. The fact that he’d planned on going on this mission by himself proved that he had the makings of a leader, if not the maturity.

“Tell me about your father,” Zuko blurted out suddenly. He immediately wanted to take it back when he saw the startled look on Sokka’s face. 

“Sorry, never mind. Forget I asked,” he mumbled in a hurry, embarrassed. What was he thinking? People didn’t like to talk about their fathers. God knows Zuko wouldn’t be eager to tell a near stranger about his own. 

“No, it’s fine! I’m glad you asked,” Sokka said, “I was just surprised. You don’t seem like the mushy let’s-talk-about-our-families type.”

Zuko shrugged.

“Well, I figured I should know at least a bit about the guy you’re so willing to risk your life to rescue.” 

“Your life too, now! No take backs!” Sokka joked, but his smile was forced. He was obviously nervous about the mission. Zuko was too, but he’d never show it.

Sokka sighed as Zuko watched him expectantly. Finally, he spoke.

“My dad is… The best. Honestly. I can’t think of any other way to explain it,” a small smile grew on his face, “You know how when you love someone so much, you can’t even find the words to describe them?”

“Well, my dad isn’t exactly Parent of the Year,” Zuko said dryily. 

Sokka’s eyes widened.

“Sorry, I didn’t-”

Zuko waved him off.

“But I know what you mean. I feel that same way about my mom.”

Sokka’s face softened. Zuko could tell he was about to say something embarrassing, so he cut him off. 

“Keep going. What is it about your dad that’s so great?” Zuko winced. _ That came out wrong _ . “I mean, I don’t have a great example of successful fatherhood,” he said gruffly, avoiding eye contact.

The other boy thought for a moment, his brow furrowed. When he spoke, his voice was soft, almost reverent. 

“Everything my dad ever did, he did for us. Me and Katara, and my mom before she died,” Zuko glanced up to see Sokka staring off at the horizon, a faraway look in his eyes, “When he left, I was devastated. But eventually I realized that he did that for us, too. He left to protect us. He’s the bravest man I’ve ever known, and everything I want to be,” he said this simply and without any hesitation, his voice firm and full of pride. 

Zuko felt a pang of jealousy. What must it be like to have a father who is so undeniably  _ good? _

He shoved the feeling down resolutely. Sokka deserved this kind of unconditional love after everything the Fire Nation had put him through. How dare he feel anything but happiness for him?

Sokka glanced over at Zuko then, and frowned.

“Why are you scowling?” he asked.

Zuko quickly rearranged his expression.

“I wasn’t scowling,” he said defensively. He waited a beat before continuing, “It must be incredible to have a father like that. You’re lucky to have each other,” he said quietly. 

Sokka’s frown deepened, and he shifted uncomfortably.

“If I had just cut my losses on the Day of Black Sun, Dad wouldn’t be in this mess. His capture is all my fault,” his voice dripped with shame and self loathing, both emotions with which Zuko was very familiar, “I wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t even want to see me.”

Zuko’ head shot up. He stared at Sokka incredulously.

“Are you kidding?” If he were Toph, he’d punch Sokka in the shoulder right about now, “He’s going to be elated. You’re his son and you’re coming to save him! And, he loves you,” that last part was added somewhat bitterly, despite his best efforts.

Sokka blushed and tried to change the subject. 

“Well, what was your mom like?” 

Zuko blinked in surprise. It took him a few moments before he could put it into words.

“My mother was my entire world,” he said softly. It was still painful to talk about her, even after all this time, “She was everything to me. She taught me that there was good in the world. That life was more than death and destruction. When Azula would push me down or laugh at me, she would always be there, sweeping me up and carrying me away from harm. She did everything she could to protect me from my father. But in the end, it wasn’t enough.” 

He brushed a hand over his scar absentmindedly, feeling the familiar mangled flesh under his fingertips. 

Sokka swallowed hard. He wasn’t stupid. He was starting to put two and two together, and he sincerely hoped he was wrong.

“Zuko,” he said slowly, “Who gave you that scar?” 

He’d always assumed it was a training accident or something, and until now he’d seen no reason to ask. But a growing pit in his stomach demanded an answer.

Zuko looked up in surprise, his hand going back to his face instinctively. Sokka could tell he was uncomfortable, but he didn’t care.

“Zuko, answer me,” he said urgently. 

Zuko hesitated before squaring his shoulders and looking Sokka directly in the eye, as if to say  _ pity me, and you’ll regret it. _

“My father.” 

Sokka sucked air between his teeth and leaned back against the war balloon’s railing.

“Wow, man.”

“Yeah.” 

Zuko felt awkward now. This is exactly why he hadn’t told any of them about his scar. If Sokka spent the rest of this trip tiptoeing around and feeling sorry for him, he’d blast him out of the sky. 

“Your dad really sucks, huh?”

Zuko raised an eyebrow. _That's one way to put it._

“I'd say so, yeah."

This was the strangest conversation about fathers on a war balloon with a Water Tribe boy Zuko had ever had. 

Sokka stood abruptly, striding over to Zuko’s side of the ship in two large steps and plopping down next to him unceremoniously. Zuko leaned back from him in surprise, but not fast enough. Before he knew it Sokka had his arms around him, and he was squeezing. Hard.

“What’re you doing?” Zuko wheezed, his airflow cut off by Sokka’s death grip.

“I’m hugging you,” Sokka’s voice was muffled by Zuko’s hood, “This is what people do when they find out their friend’s dad blasted half their face off. They hug.”

Zuko wanted to roll his eyes, but something stopped him. Hesitantly, he raised his hands and placed them carefully on Sokka's back. They sat there together like that for a few moments, and Zuko could feel his face reddening. 

“This is weird, isn’t it?” Zuko said. He could feel Sokka’s chest vibrate with laughter. He’s actually  _ enjoying  _ making me uncomfortable, Zuko thought incredulously. 

“Get used to it, buddy. The Aang Gaang is a huggy bunch,” Zuko felt Sokka gasp, “The Huggy Bunch! Now  _ that’s  _ a group name.”

This time, Zuko did roll his eyes, but he was smiling. Not that he’d ever admit it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We love a good chat about daddy issues!! Boys showing emotion is v important. I wanted Zuko and Sokka to have a heart to heart and I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. Consider this my salute to Zukka (long live Zukka!) Let me know what you thought of this chapter by leaving me a comment!! Love you guys. Can't believe we're at 2600 hits!!


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